In The Avengers, the audience never questions where the action is taking place. That’s just New York City on screen, obviously. The fact that almost none of the film was actually shot in New York City is a testament to the quality of the effects work by Industrial Light and Magic.

ILM has just released a new video detailing how they were able to digitally recreate New York for Joss Whedon‘s mega-blockbuster. In it you’ll find out exactly how much of the film was shot in New York, see a lot of green screen work, all the tiny details that have to be added to each frame and even learn a few cool pieces of trivia. For either Avengers or filmmaking fans, it’s a must see.

Although roughly a third of “The Avengers” is set in New York City precious little was actually filmed there. ILM crew members photographed 7-miles of city streets from a variety of heights and at different times of day totaling 250,000 images. The crew then digitally recreated roughly 20 square blocks of mid-town Manhattan using a variety of techniques. Live action shoots were held primarily on sound stages in New Mexico and in the streets of Cleveland.